The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-09-08
SOME NETWORK WASHERS
MEN WHO DEVOTE THEIR LIVES
TO THE FASCINATION OF WOMEN.

Washer With the White Lock, and
How He Got It-The Daily Round of
q skillful Operator.
From the Ne,c York Sun
There was a row in front of Delmonico's
Yesterday. II was quick, sharp, and saw
age though no blows were struck. a
middie-aged, heavily built man hurried up
inst as "A well known yachtsman strolled out
of the restaurant, and, seizing him by the
arm. whirled him around. The men stood
face to face, glaring at each other for an
Instant 1t was 2 o'clock, and scorching
hot. The hackman started forward from
across the street, the walters peered from
the windows, and the loiterers sprang into
sudden life The yechtsman is famous
figure of the town. He has been shot twice,
once by wife and once by husband. 1t
looked as if he was in for it again. Neither
of the two men spoke for a minute, and
then the elder said shortly:
"rve been looking for you"
Ssh, don't make a scene here"
you contemplate little masher--"
Not here, tell you" insisted the other,
as he shook his arm free. It'll hurt you
more than it will me-
II don't care, I'll"
"Do you hear" repeated the other, sharp
". 18th hurt you more than it will me-"
Perhaps the rugged truth of this penetra-
ted the intelligence of the older man
through his rage. He cursed his companion
fuEjously, and, still flushed with anger, led
him across Madison square, the younger
man talking in an eager, argumentative,
and explanatory way.
Judge Edward l.. Andrews, who was one
of the spectators of the little scene, looked
after the pair, and said quietly;
THAT was a close shave"
Eyes, | thought he was elected that time. "
He belongs to a curious set of New York
men," continued the Judge. They are
creatures of recent growth, and | doubt
very much if similar specimens of the genus
man can be found anywhere else in the
world. They are called 'mashers' in gen
eral way, but they are in no sense like the
gorgeous London man who has given the
word masher' it's highest meaning The
British masher is a creature Of noble ap-
parel, solemn and dissipated air, advanced
degrees in the courts of bankruptcy,
and general impressiveneSs He wears
a great many suits of clothes during the
week, affects burlesque actress, and drives
dashing traps. The little circle of Washers
in New York has none of these proclivities.
They are men who have lived on the surface
of the town for many years, whose names
are familiar in all Of the restaurants and
clubs, and who have gained in one way or
another regulations as slayers of feminine
hearts, which stand them in enormous value.
They are not in society, sneer at the idea of
toll, live in the best possible manner, dress
quietly, and are absolutely mum about the
numerous affairs in which they pass their
lives. | know dozen men in this particular
crowd, but never knew one of them to
break the rules of the peculiar free
masonry which apparently exists among
them to keep quiet about their escapadeS.
They may be ever so jovial very far gone
in their cups, and laxative as magpies, but
a woman's name never drops from their
lips, and they refrain absolutely from inter
fering with each others schemes. This is
the most curious feature of the whole thing.
A masher who does not talk when success
has crowned his efforts would be a rarity
anywhere else except in this extraordinary
coterie. They are queer lot, and can't
say that l consider them credit to the
city"
The Judge strolled on, and in few min
uteS the disappointed crowd had melted
away.
1t affords droll study of human nature
to watch the operations of the Washers.
Most of their faces are as familiar to up
town people as the Fifth Avenue Hotel
Their mode of life is simple. Take for in
stance cold and austere mai, with blonde
moustache, a regular profile, square Shout
ders, and careless caraiage, who has been
more or less famous about town for fifteen
years. He has a scar running diagonally
across his forehead, and just above 1t is a
single lock or splash" of hair that is as
white as snow, though the rest of his hair is
dark. l have heard It enviably remarked by
other Washers that this gentleman's chief
success is due to the immobility of his face,
the yellowness of his moustache, the white
ness of the splash, and the dark mass of hair
which throws it into such sharp relief. He
is, in fact, known as "His Contrasts in
some quarters. Fifteen years ago, a woman
followed him in cab down Fifth avenue,
slipped out as he assembled the steps of a
rivals house, ran up the steps, and pushing
arevolver against his head, blazed away.
The bullet, instead of going. through the
skull, ran across the forehead. She went
to Europe in the arms of her anna
retired into painful obscurity for a
time. Five years after that he was mixed
up in a row which is still talked about by
old-timers. 1t was three-cornered fight
one woman and two men--in the cabin of a
yacht in the lower bay. When they dragged
His Contrasts" out he was pretty we'll
knocked to pieces. Two ribs were broken
and his general physical welfare very sensi-
bly, impaired, but he came up smiling as
usual. have known him for many years.
he has but one object In life.
His manner of living varies little from
day to day have had many opportuni-
ties for observing him, as we once had
neighboring apartments in the same hotel,
ana he used to aniuse himself when he had
an occasional half hour of leisure from his
arduous duties by turning the pictures in
my room wrong side foremost, bribing the
chambermaid to sew the hangings into all
Sorts OF grotesque positions, littering my
desk with violent kilograms and indulging
In various other cheerful and endearing
FRANKS. At 10 o'clock every morning the
chambermaid pounded loudly at his door,
a smothered response was the only answer
Then she would hammer harder than ever
with the heels of the masher's boots, which
ne had left out over night. After the
TATTOO had been kept up long enough, a
husky and deep-chestsd voice, which might
nave come from tho boots in the girls
hands or from the base of the elevator shaft,
would howl:
What's upl"
Ten O'Clock, sir.n
oh, no." the masher would reply with
intense sarcasm; you don't string me on
any such little plot as that. :"
Indeed, indeed it is, sir"
>, Is whatT the voice would inquire sleep
ny as it droned off into partial snorc
is ten o'clock" the girl would scream,
STARTING the tattoo afresh for she knew il he